Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Several Gulf nations announced Tuesday that the crescent moon marking the start of Ramadan 1447 AH had been sighted, declaring Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as the first day of the holy month. Meanwhile, Egypt, Syria and Jordan confirmed that the crescent had not been observed locally, setting Thursday as the beginning of Ramadan in those countries.
In Saudi Arabia, the Supreme Court announced that multiple credible witnesses had testified to sighting the Ramadan crescent. Following the Saudi declaration, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Yemen also confirmed that Wednesday would mark the first day of fasting.
In Bahrain, the Sharia Moon Sighting Committee stated that although no witnesses had come forward locally, it accepted the confirmed sighting in Saudi Arabia, announcing that Wednesday would be the first day of Ramadan and that fasting would commence accordingly.
Religious authorities in Jerusalem declared Wednesday as the start of the holy month, a position echoed in Lebanon and Sudan, where official religious bodies confirmed the sighting.
By contrast, Egypt announced that the crescent had not been verified through its official religious observation process. Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah said in a statement that after conducting the legally recognized visual sighting procedures, it had determined that the Ramadan crescent was not confirmed. As a result, Wednesday will complete the month of Shaaban, and Thursday, February 19, will mark the first day of Ramadan.
Similarly, Jordan and Syria declared that the crescent had not been sighted, with Syria’s National Committee for Moon Sighting announcing that Thursday would be the first day of the fasting month.
Differences in the start date of Ramadan are common across the Muslim world, as countries rely either on local moon sightings or on confirmed reports from other nations, particularly Saudi Arabia. The Islamic calendar is lunar, and each month begins with the visual confirmation of the new crescent moon, a process that can yield varying results depending on geographical and atmospheric conditions.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of fasting from dawn to sunset, intensified prayer, charity and reflection. The announcement of its start typically brings a wave of preparations across cities and towns, from special evening prayers to communal meals and charitable initiatives aimed at supporting the most vulnerable.
As the holy month begins, religious authorities across the region have called for unity, compassion and solidarity, particularly amid ongoing regional challenges and humanitarian crises.
